Jaylen Brown On Celtics Bouncing Heat: ‘Wish It Could Have Been Four But We’ll Take Five’

In Boston, it seemed like the basketball universe might end after the Celtics lost Game 2 of their NBA playoff series at home to the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat.

Everyone was likely thinking, “Here we go again.” 

But it actually worked out just fine, as the Celtics didn’t fall again, closing out the first-round series with an easy 118-84 home win in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Celtics now advance to the second round, where they will meet the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series.

“Wish it could’ve been four but we’ll take five,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown told NBA reporters of how many games it took to bounce the Heat, via Jay King of The Athletic.

Boston, of course, had to do it without forward Kristaps Porzingis, the key offseason acquisition who went down in the first half of Game 4 with a right calf injury. Porzingis is expected to miss the entire second round as well.

Per King, Brown was asked if he and Jayson Tatum would have to shoulder even more of the load without Porzingis.

“No,” Brown answered. “I think we just have to continue to play our game like we’ve been doing our whole career and continuing to show our growth and trusting our teammates. I think if we’re going to win, we’re going to win as a team. And we’ve gotta be able to use everybody to their best strengths. So I think that’s what we’re more focused on is let the game come to you but do whatever it the game needs to get a win.”